Virginia Johnson wanted an old-fashioned garden in the back of her modern house in Toronto’s inner-city neighbourhood of Trinity Bellwoods. While most of the planting in her yard happened two summers ago along with the construction of her artist’s studio, she has been imagining this garden for years. “The backyard used to be a lawn and a sandpit for my kids to play and now it is growing with my family as we are growing in the home that we have been in for almost 10 years now,” she says.
So, how did the artist get started turning her 20-by-24-foot blank canvas into an old-world oasis? She began with a palette of course. “I love gardens that have a whole bunch of colours of roses mixed together, so I went with pinks, deep pinks, magenta ‘Karl Rosenfield’ peonies and eggplant-purple hollyhocks.” On
the other side of the garden, she has apricot-hued heirloom roses. The variety is ‘Champagne Wishes,’ a bushy, glossy-leafed rose with blooms from late spring through to fall (it is disease-resistant too). “I can’t wait for them all to grow even bigger,” she says and adds, “I guess I’m a little impatient.”
The influence to pull her small space together came from the gardens she visited on her travels especially the Palihouse Hotel in Santa Monica, a 1920s build with Moorish Mediterranean revival architecture. “In January of 2020, I spent hours admiring that garden,” she says, “and it also reminded me of 28 Kothi, a hotel in Jaipur, India that I have appreciated many times on my visits there.”
Closer to home, Terroni, a restaurant on Queen Street West in Toronto, has been a source of inspiration as well. “In the back, they have a gorgeous patio with an old apple tree strung with lights that creates an atmosphere that makes you love being there,” says Virginia. What all of these spaces have in common are cozy and comfortable seating areas that feel like “magical retreats” according to the artist. She determined that it’s the use of well-placed trees that provide privacy and filter, sound light and views. “And, evergreen bushes and container plantings can turn a small space into a sanctuary with the right scale and proportion — I tried to emulate all of these things” she adds.
“Having an old fashion garden that’s a bit of a jungle makes it really feel like my space. We walk through the garden all the time and it’s become another completely useful space in our home. That’s what I love about small gardens, you feel really sheltered. And I love that my garden can’t ever be stuffy, it’s very casual and it’s changing all the time,” she says. “Just like life, the garden is forever a work in progress and what a joy that is.”
Toronto-based textile designer and artist Virginia Johnson launched a caftan line inspired by her new
book Creating a Garden Retreat! Through whimsical illustrations, Virginia shares her journey as an avid
amateur gardener transforming her city backyard into an artist’s oasis. Mixing her designer eye with
her love of plants, she brings a unique perspective to the world of gardening. At the back of Virginia’s
garden stands her art studio where she creates her textile and wallpaper designs. Having a place to
escape allows for separation between home and work and reinforces the importance of making time for art
and creativity. Her garden sanctuary and art studio formed the theme for her new book available May 2022.
“The secret to having a great atmosphere in the garden is having lots of trees,” says Virginia Johnson.
“It’s all about scale, like a painting. I counted last summer, and I think I have 25 trees in my tiny garden and I’m including a dwarf magnolia, my hornbeams and the beautiful upright ‘Degroot’s Spire’ cedars.”
Jennifer Reynolds, our previous Editor-in-Chief, is a long-time authority in gardening, do-it-yourself projects, urban sustainability, parenting, placemaking and community matters. Her features and columns have been published in Canadian Living, Canadian Family, Gardening Life, House & Home, Globe & Mail, National Post, Toronto Star & more. Plus, her designs and expertise have been featured on dozens of HGTV, W Network and CTV shows.
